Strawberry Popsicles

Low FODMAP strawberry popsicles made with fresh strawberries, lactose-free yogurt, maple syrup, lemon, and vanilla.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300 g) fresh strawberries, hulled (or frozen strawberries, thawed)
• 3/4 cup (180 g) plain lactose-free yogurt (see the dairy-free swap below)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• Pinch of salt (optional)

Makes 6 popsicles in 3 oz (90 ml) molds (about 8 in smaller 2 oz molds). Each 3 oz pop holds about 50 g of strawberries, under the Monash low-FODMAP serve of 5 medium (65 g), and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Look ingredients up in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.

Instructions

Blend the base

1. Add the strawberries, lactose-free yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt to a blender.
2. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides if any berry pieces stick.
3. Taste the mixture. It should taste slightly sweeter than you want the finished pop to be, since freezing dulls sweetness. Add another teaspoon or two of maple syrup if the berries are tart, staying within a low-FODMAP pour.

Fill and freeze

1. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of headspace at the top so the pops can expand as they freeze.
2. Tap each mold gently on the counter to release trapped air bubbles.
3. Insert the sticks. If your molds do not hold the sticks upright, freeze for 45 minutes first, then add the sticks once the mixture is slushy.
4. Freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, until solid.

Unmold and serve

1. Run the outside of the mold under warm (not hot) water for 10 to 20 seconds.
2. Gently pull each pop straight out by the stick. Serve right away or return to the freezer.

Tips & Substitutions

• Dairy-free swap. Replace the yogurt with canned coconut milk. Keep it to about 60 ml per serving, which is the low-FODMAP portion for canned coconut milk, so 3/4 cup across six pops keeps each one in range.
• Sweeten to the berries. Ripe, in-season strawberries need little maple syrup; out-of-season or frozen berries usually need the full 2 tablespoons. Adjust before freezing, not after.
• No molds on hand. Use small paper cups. Cover each with foil, poke a wooden stick through the center, and the foil holds it upright while it freezes.
• Add a little texture. Fold a few finely diced strawberries into the blended base before pouring for berry bits in every bite.
• For a firmer, creamier pop. Use a bit more yogurt and a touch less added liquid. A higher yogurt ratio sets denser and less icy.
• Avoid sugar-free syrups. Skip "no sugar added" syrups sweetened with sorbitol, xylitol, or maltitol. These polyols are high-FODMAP and defeat the purpose here.

Why This Works

• Strawberries at a measured serve. Monash lists strawberries as low-FODMAP at 5 medium (65 g); each pop has about 50 g, enough to carry the flavor.
• Lactose-free yogurt keeps it creamy. Standard yogurt carries lactose; lactose-free yogurt has it broken down, so you keep the creamy body at a low-FODMAP serve.
• Maple syrup instead of honey. Honey is only low-FODMAP at about ½ teaspoon (4g). Pure maple syrup is low at 1 tablespoon, far more than the 1 teaspoon in each pop.
• Portion-controlled coconut option. Canned coconut milk is only low-FODMAP in small amounts, so splitting a modest total across six molds keeps the dairy-free version within a tested serving.

Storage

Keep the popsicles in their molds, or transfer the unmolded pops to a freezer bag or airtight container with parchment between them, for up to 2 months. They are best eaten within the first few weeks before ice crystals build up and change the texture. There is no reheating; let a pop sit at room temperature for a minute or two if it is too hard to bite. If you used the coconut milk version, stick to one pop per serving to stay within the low-FODMAP coconut portion.